Durbin Announces Nearly $1.5 Million For Rural Development Projects in Central Illinois

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development division has awarded loans totaling $1,147,000 and grants totaling $345,000 to communities across Central Illinois. The funds will be used to construct miles of water mains in Morgan County, Edgar County, and the village of Bryant, Illinois to serve customers who currently rely on private water wells for their water supply. The project will help alleviate the health hazard that can exist with private wells.

“Not only will this federal investment create good paying jobs, it will also help protect public health, safety and welfare of the local residents,” Durbin said.

The following communities received funding:

North Morgan Water Cooperative (Morgan County, Illinois): awarded a grant of $261,000 and a loan of $417,000;

Clark-Edgar Rural Water District (Edgar County, Illinois): awarded a loan of $730,000; and

The Village of Bryant (Bryant, Illinois): awarded a grant of $84,000.

Under this announcement, the City of Graysville, Illinois was also awarded a Rural Development Grant of $16,500, for a new police vehicle for the police department.

USDA Rural Water and Waste Disposal Loans are used to develop drinking water and waste disposal systems, including solid waste disposal and storm drainage systems in rural areas and towns with populations under 10,000. Funds are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, special-purpose districts, Indian tribes, and corporations not operated for profit. Additionally, Water and Waste Disposal Grants seek to reduce water and waste disposal costs to a reasonable level for rural areas.